There are few more recognizable athletes in the world than Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known to the world as Pele. While the Brazilian three-time World Cup Winner is frequently hailed as the greatest player of all time, the combination of his mesmerising skill and dignified demeanour have certainly made him the most popular.
The statistics surrounding Pele's career are stunning. He is the only player to have won three World Cups and one of just four to have scored in two World Cup finals. In 92 matches for Brazil he found the net 77 times and ended with a career record of 1,281 goals in 1,363 games. In 1959 he scored an amazing 127 goals.
The milestone of 1,000 goals came in November 1969 when Pele scored from the penalty spot for his Santos side against Vasco da Gama at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Pele made his Santos debut at just 15 and went on to play for the same team for nearly 20 years, winning every domestic honour possible in Brazil, before joining the New York Cosmos in 1975.
It was in the famous gold shirt of Brazil that the world first became aware of Pele's breathtaking talent. At just 17 he starred in the South American's World Cup triumph in Sweden, scoring twice against the hosts in the final.
But it is the 1970 World Cup in Mexico that will be Pelé's lasting legacy. He was part of what is considered the greatest team of all time, containing legends such as Jairzinho, Rivelino, Carlos Alberto and Tostao.
The Brazilians arrived in the final at the Azteca Stadium where they swept aside Italy 4-1 in possibly the greatest team performance of all time. Pelé scored the first goal to help Brazil win the Jules Rimet trophy for the third time and retain it outright.
Pele was the supreme exponent of the striker's art, with dazzling control, pace, power and deadly finishing ability. The O Rei do Futebol, the King of Football, now holds the official title that sums him up best, FIFA Football Ambassador of the World.
Born23 Oct 1940
Place Of BirthTrês Corações, Brazil
Height1.74 m (5' 9'')
PositionForward
ClubsSantos, New York Cosmos
CountryBrazil
Major Club HonoursSantos: Campeonato Paulista, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973
Torneio Rio-São Paulo, 1959, 1963, 1964
Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa (Taça de Prata), 1968
Taça Brasil, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965
Copa Libertadores, 1962, 1963
Intercontinental Cup, 1962, 1963
South-American Recopa, 1968
New York Cosmos: NASL Champions, 1977
Major International HonoursWorld Cup winner, 1958, 1962, 1970